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Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder Review - First in its class

July 31st, 2008 by Derek

Review and photos by Derek Mau

Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder

Settling for second place has never been Porsche’s mind set. Porsche has a long list of podium finishes on and off of the racing circuit. In 1948 Porsche scored a first place finish at Innsbruck Stadtrennen with the 356, the first sports car to bear the Porsche name, only one month after it was road certified. Fast forward to 1984 for another notable first - Porsche, with the 911 Carrera 4×4, marks its first victory in the Paris–Dakar Rally. At Porsche safety is just as important as winning races. Porsche becomes the first car maker in Germany to equip all production models with an airbag for driver and front passenger as standard equipment. Now it seems that Porsche has taken the gold again in the form of a limited edition GT Silver Metallic Boxster, the RS 60 Spyder.

I was given the opportunity to test drive the RS 60 Spyder at the home of Porsche’s Sport Driving School (PSDS), Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. In my opinion, the race track is the best place to put the RS 60 through its paces without scaring the natives on public roads. As an added bonus, I had legendary racer and lead PSDS instructor, Hurley Haywood, show me the race line at Barber Motorsports Park.

Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder Hurley Haywood

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Posted in Porsche, Expert Reviews | Tags: , |873 visits| No Comments »


Volkswagen’s Clean Diesels Eligible For Alternative Motor Vehicle Federal Tax Credit

July 31st, 2008 by Derek

VW Jetta TDI

HERNDON, Va.—Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced that buyers of the Jetta TDI sedan and SportWagen are eligible for a $1,300 Federal Income Tax Credit. The Internal Revenue Service has issued a certification letter affirming that the vehicles qualify for the Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle income tax credit.

“The $1,300 tax credit provides an even greater value to the upcoming Jetta TDI sedan and SportWagen,” said Mark Barnes, COO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “Our clean diesel vehicles offer consumers the fuel efficiency that they’re looking for while providing power, utility, performance, safety and excellent value.”
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Posted in Press and News, Volkswagen | Tags: , |235 visits| No Comments »


Volvo Launches Boston Red Sox Special Edition C30 (updated 7/29/2008)

July 29th, 2008 by Derek

Linda Brennan of Montpelier, Vt. Wins Ultimate Fan Prize: Boston Red Sox Special Edition Volvo C30

Red Sox Foundation and Volvo team up in charity raffle, raising $1.4 million

IRVINE, Calif. (July 29, 2008) - Linda Brennan, Boston Red Sox Foundation and Volvo Cars of North America raffle winner, now owns the ultimate 2007 World Series Championship collectible: The Boston Red Sox Special Edition Volvo C30.

Volvo and the Red Sox Foundation hosted the raffle to raise money for children and families in need across New England. Brennan took home the C30 during Saturday’s Red Sox versus Yankees game at Fenway Park.
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Posted in Volvo, Press and News | Tags: , |751 visits| No Comments »


2008 Saturn VUE Green Line Hybrid Review - The General Goes Green, Sort Of

July 28th, 2008 by sirkrameroy

Saturn VUE Green Line Overview Saturn VUE Green Line Specs
Saturn VUE Green Line Consumer Reviews Saturn VUE Green Line Photo Gallery

By Alex Kramer

2008 Saturn VUE Green Line Hybrid

Pros:

  • Excellent ride quality
  • Snappy new exterior style
  • Upscale interior design
  • Spacious front seats

Cons:

  • Tepid acceleration
  • Hefty 3800 lb curb weight
  • Less than hybrid worthy fuel efficiency
  • Marginal rear legroom and smallish trunk

2008 has been a tough year for American auto manufacturers. Faced with high gas prices and strong competition from overseas, sales have plummeted, especially in the traditionally lucrative light truck and SUV segment. Much like in the 1970’s, the pain at the pump has driven consumers to smaller, more efficient models, many of which are made in Japan. Although the Big Three already have some fuel efficient compacts and hybrids for sale, or in the works, is it too late to convince the American consumer that Honda and Toyota aren’t the only ones meeting the MPG challenge?
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Posted in Saturn, Expert Reviews | Tags: , , |667 visits| No Comments »


2009 Hyundai Genesis Review

July 25th, 2008 by Derek

By Kirk Bell

2009 Hyundai Genesis

Pros and Cons

  • Lots of features for the dollar
  • Powerful engines
  • Luxurious interior
  • Capable handling
  • Plenty of front and rear seat room
  • No split folding rear seat
  • No steering wheel paddles
  • Limited seat adjustments
  • Ride can be bouncy
  • Pricey for a Hyundai

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Posted in Hyundai, Expert Reviews | Tags: , |2357 visits| No Comments »


Plug-In 2008 Conference Report - Recharging the Future

July 24th, 2008 by Derek

Saturn VUE PHEV

The very first Plug-In Conference was held in San Jose, Calif. (7/22/2008 - 7/24/2008), to showcase the latest technological advances, market research, and policy initiatives shaping the future of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The three day conference brings together automotive manufacturers, component suppliers, electric utilities, government agencies, universities, and the environmental community to address the most current technical research surrounding PHEVs, the impact of current policies and regulation, and clean-tech entrepreneurs’ ideas to enhance and expand the PHEV market.

PHEVs offer one of the most promising near-term strategies for substantially reducing transportation-related greenhouse emissions and our dependency upon fossil fuels for transportation purposes. PHEVs are hybrids with a much larger battery pack that can be plugged into a 120-volt outlet allowing them to travel greater distances solely on electric power.

Saturn VUE PHEV Saturn VUE PHEV

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Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

July 18th, 2008 by Derek

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

We visited the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum located on the grounds of Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. For anyone remotely interested in motorcycle history and Lotus race cars, the Barber Vintage Museum hosts one of the largest motorcycle collections in the world. George Barber (no relation to Skip Barber) has collected almost 1,400 motorcycles and has the largest collection of Lotus race cars in the world. The building itself is a 80,000 square foot modern steel, concrete, and glass structure that contains five floors of over 500 motorbikes and Lotus race cars on display. The facility also has a complete metal workshop and restoration capabilities so that almost anything can be fabricated and restored to mint condition.

The collection now has over 1,300 vintage and modern motorcycles and as well as a substantial collection of Lotus and other race cars. It is considered the largest collection in North American. There are approximately five hundred motorcycles on display at any given time. These bikes range from 1904 to current-year production. There are bikes from 16 countries that represent 143 different marques. The common street bike is represented, as well as rare one-off Gran Prix race machinery. Bikes have been purchased from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden, but also as close as down the street.

(picture slideshow of my museum tour at then bottom of the article)

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum - motorcycle collection

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Posted in Feature Articles | Tags: , , |531 visits| 1 Comment »


2008 BMW X5 Review - A Recipe for Adventure

July 18th, 2008 by Derek

BMW X5 Overview BMW X5 Specs
BMW X5 Consumer Reviews BMW X5 Photo Gallery

By R. Myint

2008 BMW X5

Pros

  • Handling
  • Power
  • Styling

Cons

  • Cargo Capacity
  • Lack of rear hitch
  • Fuel mileage

Recipe for adventure:

Take 3 adults 3 bikes, and 3 days of mountain biking in Downieville, California. Add biking gear, camping gear and 2 full coolers. Place all items in the Ultimate Driving Machine, the BMW X5, and shake well. Cook the X5 over miles of freeway and twisty mountain roads for 6 hours and enjoy. Repeat as necessary for a fulfilling sensation that is tasty as a warm chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven.
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Posted in BMW, Expert Reviews | Tags: , |1108 visits| No Comments »


2008 Chevrolet HHR SS Review - HHR aka Hot-Hot-Rod

July 16th, 2008 by gmchan_66

Chevrolet HHR Overview Chevrolet HHR SS Specs
Chevrolet HHR Consumer Reviews Chevrolet HHR Photo Gallery


Review and photos by Gary Chan

2008 Chevrolet HHR SS

Pros

  • Handling prowess
  • Smooth power delivery
  • Utility (63-cubic feet of useful space!)

Cons

  • Front performance seat hard to dial in
  • Notchy shifter with high effort
  • Limited rear visibility

Introduction
Over the past two years, there were two cars that I read about in the car magazines that I eagerly awaited; neither was exotic or expensive, but hopped-up versions of cars you’d see every day commuting to work. More specifically, the MAZDA3 and Chevy HHR. I’ve driven the Mazdaspeed3 and now I had the chance to drive the Chevy HHR SS. I was not disappointed.
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Posted in Chevrolet, Expert Reviews | Tags: , |1130 visits| No Comments »


The Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series

July 14th, 2008 by Derek

The exclusive high-performance coupé for the discerning motorist

The Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series

Mercedes-Benz unleashes their SL 65 Black Series that turns out an eye-popping 670 hp and 737 lb-ft of torque from a 6 liter V12 twin turbocharged motor. Only 200 units are designated for U.S. shores, so get in line now. Don’t forget to bring your checkbook. The price tag for the SL 65 Black Series is $320,000.

Equally impressive is the SL 65’s power-to-weight ratio of 6.17 lb/hp. Similar in performance, but can be had for less than $300k, is the Ferrari 599 GTB Fioranio with a power-to-weight ration of 6.00 lb/hp. If you like numbers, the 599 GTB Fiorano cranks out 620 hp and 448 lb-ft of torque from a normally aspirated 6 liter V12. The Ferrari 599 seems like a bargain at $270,000. Does it become a question of which one to choose or do the two marquees attract their own loyal fellowship?

Following is the official press release and more photos of the SL 65 from Mercedes-Benz:
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Posted in Press and News, Mercedes-Benz | Tags: , |244 visits| No Comments »


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